Off piste skiing: techniques for pole walking

Leading ski instructor Warren Smith offers top skiing tips on off piste
skiing. In this online ski lesson, he illustrates the merits of pole
walking.

Off piste skiing, video two: pole walking

A strong pole-plant is a key tool in freeskiing for a variety of reasons. It allows your body to be supported by your arms as well as your feet, making it feel lighter. It improves the initiation of your turns, and stabilizes your path over terrain that might be highly variable.

Another reason is to gain information about the snow conditions that lie ahead. These can vary from wind-packed snow to light powder, and from snow with a crust on top to spring snow or heavy slush – often over a fairly short distance. It helps to have a split-second knowledge of what’s ahead, so you can react in time.

Try to make consistent pole plants throughout your descent, until the pole plant becomes second nature. Each time the pole swings forward to make contact with the snow, it will be able to give you a split-second knowledge of what your skis are about to ride over. This feedback from your poles will give you more confidence, and help develop your all-mountain technique.